UN 'expert' says Hamas only fired 2 rockets at Israel before Gaza war

Thursday, February 11, 2010 |
Israel Today Staff

The primary military analyst accompanying the Goldstone Commission into the conduct of both Israel and Hamas during last year's Gaza war claimed in a recent interview that prior to the Israeli incursion, Gaza-based terrorists had only fired two rockets into southern Israel.

Speaking to the Middle East Monitor last week, Col. Desmond Travers from Ireland said, "It should be borne in mind that the number of rockets that had been fired into Israel in the month preceding their operations was something like two. The Hamas rockets had ceased being fired into Israel, and not only that, but Hamas sought a continuation of the cease-fire."

Former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, held a press conference on Wednesday to denounce Travers and his participation in the controversial Goldstone Report.

Gold noted that in the two days prior to the start of the Gaza War on December 18, 2008, at least 32 rockets hit southern Israel. Many more were fired in the days and weeks preceding the decision to invade the Hamas-ruled territory.

Gold also showed a clip of Travers prepping British officers prior to interviewing them for the official Goldstone Report during which he stated, "Britain's foreign policy interests in the Middle East seem to be influenced strongly by Jewish lobbyists."

Gold insisted that Travers' ineptness as a military analyst and his clear anti-Semitic leanings should nullify any part of the report influenced by his conclusions, and that commission head Judge Richard Goldstone should officially rebuke the colonel.

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